The development of the periodontium. A transplantation and autoradiographic study

First molar tooth germs were dissected from one‐day‐old mice; placed for one hour in McCoy's medium containing 10 μc tritiated thymidine and transplanted subcutaneously into young adult animals of the same strain. Seven, 14, 21 and 28 days after implantation the host animals were sacrificed and the transplants harvested. The transplants were then serially sectioned and autoradiographs prepared. Control sections were prepared of first molar tooth germs in situ, after dissection from the jaws and after labelling with tritiated thymidine. Forty‐nine of the 115 transplanted tooth germs continued development with the formation of enamel, dentine, cement, periodontal ligament and bone. In some instances the transplanted tooth germs “erupted” through the skin with the establishment of an epithelial attachment. Examination of control sections showed that the transplants consisted of dental organ, dental papilla and a layer of ectomesenchymal cells continuous with the dental papilla and investing the dental organ. Examination of autoradiographs of the transplants showed labelling of cementoblasts and periodontal ligament fibroblasts, thereby establishing their origin from the ectomesenchymal cells investing the tooth germ.